Receptacle for attaching to a curved wall of a container

ABSTRACT

There is provided a receptacle for connecting to a curved wall of a container. The receptacle has a pair of spaced-apart flanges that extend about the container. The receptacle includes an outer wall member configured to be spaced-apart from the curved wall of the container. The receptacle includes an open back opposite the outer wall member of the receptacle. The receptacle includes a pair of spaced-apart ends that connect the flanges of the receptacle to the outer wall member of the receptacle. The receptacle includes a bottom that connects to and extends between the ends of the receptacle. The bottom of the receptacle has an outer edge connecting with the outer wall member of the receptacle. The bottom of the receptacle has a curved inner edge configured to abut with and partially extend about the container.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a receptacle. In particular, the invention relates to a receptacle for attaching to a product having a curved wall.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

It is known per se to provide a receptacle configured to attach to a premade product that is round.

For example U.S. Pat. No. 624,701 to Stevenson shows a label-holder for attaching to a bottle. However the holder is bulky, has a relatively large number of parts and thus may be relatively expensive to manufacture.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,156,352 to Cudney shows an accessory container attachment for a paint can. This container likewise has a relatively large number of parts. The container in Cudney also appears to be relatively bulky and thus may inhibit efficient shelf stacking of a plurality of said products with accessory containers attached thereto.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,095 to de Chollet shows a receptacle for attaching to a bottle where the receptacle is more compact. Thus a plurality of the bottles with receptacles attached may more readily stack together on shelves. However the compact, egg-like shape of the receptacle may nonetheless still protrude outwards in a relatively space-consuming manner. Also the egg-like shape of the receptacle appears to result in a receptacle with restricted storage space.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention provides a receptacle disclosed herein that overcomes the above disadvantages. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved receptacle for attaching to a curved wall of a product.

There is accordingly provided a container assembly. The assembly includes a container with a curved exterior sidewall. The curved exterior sidewall has an outer surface. The assembly includes a receptacle connecting to the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container. The receptacle includes a pair of spaced-apart arcuate flanges configured to partially extend about the container. The receptacle includes a closed arcuate elongate wall outwardly spaced from and partially covering a portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container. The receptacle includes an open back opposite the closed arcuate elongate wall of the receptacle. The open back aligns with said portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container, with said portion effectively forming part of the receptacle. The receptacle includes a pair of spaced-apart planar ends extending outwards from said portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container. The ends of the receptacle connect the flanges to the closed arcuate elongate wall. The flanges of the receptacle extend outwards from the ends of the receptacle. The receptacle includes an open top for receiving an object. The open top is in communication with the open back of the receptacle. The open top extends between the ends of the receptacle. The open top extends between said portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall and the closed arcuate elongate wall of the receptacle. The receptacle includes a bottom connecting to and extending between the ends of the receptacle. The bottom of the receptacle is spaced-apart from the open top of the receptacle and is arc-shaped.

There is also provided a receptacle. The receptacle includes an arcuate-shaped closed bottom. The closed bottom of the receptacle has spaced-apart inner and outer curved edges which extend in parallel with each other. The closed bottom of the receptacle has spaced-apart first and second ends which extend between the inner and outer curved edges thereof. The first and second ends of the closed bottom extend in parallel with each other. The receptacle includes an open top spaced-apart from the closed bottom thereof. The receptacle includes a pair of spaced-apart planar ends which extend from the first and second ends of the closed bottom to the top of the receptacle. The receptacle includes an arcuate-shaped outer wall which extends between the planar ends of the receptacle. The outer wall of the receptacle extends from the outer curved edge of the closed bottom to the top of the receptacle.

There is further provided a receptacle. The receptacle includes an arcuate-shaped closed bottom. The receptacle includes an open top spaced-apart from the closed bottom. The receptacle includes an arcuate-shaped outer wall extending from the bottom to the top thereof. The receptacle includes an open back spaced-apart from the outer wall. The open back extends from the closed bottom to the open top of the receptacle. The receptacle includes a pair of spaced-apart planar ends extending from the closed bottom to the open top thereof. The closed bottom of the receptacle is interposed between the planar ends of the receptacle. The planar ends of the receptacle extend in parallel with each other.

There is yet further provided a method of forming a container having a receptacle via blow-moulding. The method includes the step of providing a mould having a contoured surface that is a mirror image of a container. The mould has a protrusion extending inwards so as to form an indentation in the container. The method includes the step of disposing a molten material via pressurized air into the contoured surface of the mould. The molten material forms the container including the indentation. The method includes the step of removing the container from the mould. The method includes the step of forming a receptacle for the container by connecting a portion of material across at least part of the indentation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention will be more readily understood from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof given, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top, rear perspective view of a receptacle according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom, front perspective view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 1 in the process of being attached to a convex, exterior surface of a product;

FIG. 5 is a bottom, front perspective view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 4 as attached to the product;

FIG. 6 is a top, rear perspective view of a receptacle according to a further embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 6 as attached to a concave, inner surface of a container;

FIG. 10 is a top, side perspective view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 9, the receptacle being partially shown in ghost, together with the container shown in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a top, rear perspective view of a receptacle according to another embodiment; and

FIG. 12 is a top, side perspective view of the receptacle shown in FIG. 11, the receptacle being partially shown in ghost, together with a container according to another embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to the drawings and first to FIG. 1, there is shown a receptacle 11 for attaching to a product having a convexly curved shape, in this example, the product being a container, and the receptacle and container together thus being a container assembly. The container in this case is a standard round 5-gallon plastic water bottle 12 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The bottle 12 has a curved exterior sidewall, or wall 14, as seen in FIG. 4, with a convex surface, in this example an outer or exterior surface 15 on the exterior 17 of the bottle.

As seen in FIG. 1, the receptacle 11 includes a pair of spaced-apart arcuate flanges 16 and 18. The flanges are generally rectangular in shape and are configured to partially extend about the bottle. The receptacle 11 includes adhesive 20, as shown in FIG. 2, disposed on inner sides 22 and 24 of the flanges. The adhesive 20 is configured to enable the flanges to selectively adhere to the bottle.

As seen in FIG. 1, the receptacle 11 has a closed arcuate elongate wall or outer wall member 26 configured to be outwardly spaced-apart from the bottle. The outer wall member partially extends about the bottle. The outer wall member 26 is curved and in this example arc-shaped. Preferably the outer wall member 26 has a curvature that matches the curvature of the bottle. The outer wall member preferably is configured to extend parallel to the curved wall 14 of the bottle shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The outer wall member is made of a resilient plastic in this example.

As shown in FIG. 2, the receptacle includes an open back 28 opposite the outer wall member 26.

As seen in FIG. 1, the receptacle 11 has a pair of spaced-apart closed planar ends 30 and 32. The ends connect the flanges 16 and 18 to the outer wall member 26. In this example the ends 30 and 32 are configured to extend radially outwards from the bottle. As shown in FIG. 2, the ends 30 and 32 are interposed between the outer wall member 26 and the open back 28.

The receptacle 11 has a closed bottom 34. The bottom connects to and extends between the ends 30 and 32. The bottom 34 includes a curved, outer edge 36 that connects to and extends in parallel with the outer wall member 26. The bottom 34 also includes a curved, inner edge 38 configured to abut with and partially extend about the bottle 12 as shown in FIG. 5. As seen in FIG. 2, flanges 16 and 18 connect to and extend from edge 38 of bottom 34 in parallel therewith, with bottom 34, flanges 16 and 18 and outer wall member 26 extending in parallel with each other as also seen in FIG. 2. According to one preferred embodiment, outer edge 36 and inner edge 38 have curvatures that match the curvature of the curved wall 14, and in this example exterior surface 15, of the bottle, the edges 36 and 38 thus extending in parallel with each other. The bottom 34 is thus generally arc-shaped. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, bottom 34 has a first end 37 from which planar end 30 of the receptacle extends and a spaced-apart second end 39 from which planar end 32 of the receptacle extends, with the ends 37 and 39 of the bottom extending between edges 36 and 38 thereof and extending in parallel with each other as seen in FIG. 2.

Alternatively, the bottom 34 may made of a resilient material and thus need not match the curvature of the curved wall 14 of the bottle when the receptacle is removed from the bottle. The outer wall member 26 and the bottom 34 may be partially flexible and thus enable the inner edge 38 of the bottom 34 to fully abut with the bottle by forming a curvature matching that of the bottle thereby.

The receptacle 11 includes an open top 40 in this example as shown in FIG. 1 for receiving an object 41, as shown in FIG. 4. The top 40 is opposite the bottom 34, extends between ends 30 and 32 as seen in FIG. 1 and is in communication with open back 28 as seen with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The ends 30 and 32 and outer wall member 26 extend from the bottom 26 to the top 40, with member 26 extending from outer curved edge 36 of bottom 26 to top 40 as seen in FIG. 1. As seen in FIG. 1, open back 28 extends from inner curved edge 38 of bottom 34 to top 40.

The receptacle 11 includes an aperture in this example a drain hole 42 extending through the bottom 34. The drain hole 42 is configured to enable water entering the receptacle, for example via open top 40, to drain. The drain hole 42 is centrally disposed relative to the ends 30 and 32. The drain hole 42 is in the form of a slit in this example that partially extends along the outer edge 36 of the bottom 26.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the receptacle 11 is configured to extend about and cover a portion 44 of the curved wall 14 (in this example of the exterior surface 15) aligned opposite to the outer wall member 26, the open back thus aligning with portion 44 and top 40 thus extending between portion 44 and member 26 as seen with reference to FIGS. 1, 4 and 5. Once flanges 16 and 18 are attached to the bottle 12 via adhesive 20, portion 44 of the curved wall effectively forms part of the receptacle 11. The receptacle 11 together with the bottle may thus be said to form a generally three-dimensional pocket-like shape. When one wants to place object 41 within the receptacle 11, the object 41 is retained by the bottom 34, the ends 30 and 32, the outer wall member 26 and the portion 44 of the curved wall 14 of the bottle 12.

Many advantages result from the structure of the present invention. The receptacle 11 with its structure, as herein described, may be said to represent an improvement over other known receptacles. The receptacle, by using part of the bottle itself, ensures that back 28, as shown in FIG. 2, may remain open and this eliminates the need for an inner wall. A receptacle so formed requires fewer parts and less material, thereby lowering manufacturing costs.

Also, by keeping back 28 open, this further enhance the adjustability of the bottom 34 and outer wall member 26 of the receptacle 11 for matching varying curvatures of a given bottle, or other round product, with that of the receptacle.

The receptacle, with its arc-shaped outer wall member 26, provides a structure that maximizing pocket space while remaining streamline with the round product. This provides the advantage increasing the number and variety of objects that may be disposed within the receptacle while, at the same time, because the receptacle is streamline, promoting efficient storing and stacking of the receptacle with bottle on a shelf. Put another way, the receptacle 11, with its arc-shaped outer wall member 26 and spaced-apart radially extending ends 30 and 32, provides the synergy of both maximizing storage space within the receptacle while remaining relatively streamline to maximize shelf-space. This in turn may represent shelf-space savings for the vendor.

The streamline nature of the receptacle as herein described may also reduce the occurrences of the receptacle banging into other adjacent products, and thus may inhibit damage to adjacent products and inhibit damage to the receptacle itself.

The use of flanges for adhering the receptacle to the bottle may act to reduce the adhesive surface area required and thus amount of adhesive required compared to other receptacles. By reducing the adhesive surface area this may inhibit the amount of potential damage to the bottle 12 that otherwise may occur via adhesive application. This may be particularly true where the receptacle is removed and re-applied to the bottle numerous times.

FIGS. 6 to 10 show a receptacle 11.1 according to another embodiment. Like parts have like numbers and functions as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 with the addition of “0.1”. Receptacle 11.1 is substantially the same as receptacle 11 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 with one exception being that receptacle 11.1 is configured to attach to a concave surface, in this example, inner surface 46 of a curved wall 48 of a container 50 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Container 50 in this example has a generally cylindrical shape and an opening 52. The outer wall member 26.1 and the outer edge 36.1 and inner edge 38.1 of the bottom 34.1, all shown in FIG. 6, have curvatures that match the curvature of the inner surface 46 of the curved wall 48 of the container 50.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the container 50 includes a drain hole 53 extending through portion 44.1 of the curved wall 48. The drain hole 53 is in communication with interior 55 of the receptacle. The receptacle is preferably positioned such that drain hole 53 is aligned slightly above bottom 34.1 of the receptacle.

The receptacle 11.1 so configured is relatively streamlined within interior 54 of the container 50 and thus ensures that a relatively large amount of the interior 54 is still available for the container to receive other separated objects.

The receptacles as herein described may be used as part of a delivery vehicle or mechanism or a marketing package where only the purchasing customer may look at what is within the receptacle or “mystery package”. This is particularly true for receptacle 11.1, which is advantageously disposed within interior 54 of the container. For the receptacle 11 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, outer wall mount 26 is preferably opaque or frosted to inhibit non-customers from viewing the interior contents of the receptacle 11.

FIGS. 11 to 12 show a receptacle 11.2 and a container 50.2 according to a further embodiment. Like parts have like numbers and function as the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 to 10 with decimal extension “0.2” replacing decimal extension “0.1” and being added to numerals not previously having a decimal extension.

Receptacle 11.2 is substantially the same as the receptacle shown in FIG. 6 with two exceptions. First, receptacle 11.2 is generally twice as long as receptacle 11: flanges 16.2 and 18.2, ends 30.2 and 32.2, and outer wall member 26.2 are each double in size relative to their counterparts shown in FIG. 6. Also, receptacle 11.2 includes a closed top 51 connecting to and extending between ends 30.2 and 32.2. Top 51 also connects to and extends from outer wall member 26.2. Interior 55.2 of the receptacle is thus enclosed by ends 30.2 and 32.2, outer wall member 26.2, bottom 34.2 and top 51.

Top 51 includes a curved, outer edge 57 that connects to and extends in parallel with the outer wall member 26.2 and which is parallel with outer edge 36.2 of the bottom 34.2. Top 51 also includes a curved, inner edge 59 configured to abut with and partially extend about the container 50.2 shown in FIG. 12. Inner edge 59 of the top 51 extends in parallel with inner edge 38.2 of the bottom 34.2. According to one preferred embodiment, outer edges 59 and 38.2, inner edges 57 and 36.2, and the outer wall member 26.2 have curvatures that match the curvature of the curved wall 48.2

As shown in FIG. 12, container 50.2 includes a closed top 56 covering its interior 54.2. The top 56 has a slot 58 extending therethrough. The container 50.2 may receive information within its interior via the slot 58.

Portion 44.2 of the curved wall 48.2 opposite the outer wall member 26.2 of the receptacle has an upper half 60 and a lower half 62 adjacent thereto. The upper half 60 and lower half 62 are generally in the form of curved rectangular walls. The upper half 60 of said portion 44.2 of the curved wall includes an opening 64 that is generally rectangular in shape in this example. Opening 64 is in communication with and permits access to interior 55.2 of the receptacle 11.2. The lower half 62 of said portion 44.2 of the curved wall includes drain hole 53.2. The lower half 62 remains integral with the curved wall 48.2. The lower half 62 of said portion 44.2 of the curved wall is thus configured retain an object, such as a mystery package, disposed within the receptacle.

The receptacle 11.2 may thus deliver information via opening 64, such as an object in the form of a mystery package, for a purchasing customer, access to which is restricted by top 51.

It will be appreciated that many further variations are possible within the scope of the invention described herein. For example, the receptacle may be integrally connected to the product or container, and may be made by blow moulding. The blow-moulded container may be made of plastic, or glass.

Blow-moulding per se is well known to those skilled in the art, as is for example disclosed in a search for “blow molding” at Wikipedia in the following link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blow_molding, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. An extruder presses molten material such as plastic or glass, through a blow pin via pressurized air and into a split mould. The split mould preferably is configured with a contoured surface that is a mirror image of the container 50.2 and receptacle 11.2 shown in FIG. 12 minus portion 44.2. The mould has a protrusion extending inwards that is the mirror image of the outer wall member 26.2, bottom 34.2, top 51, and ends 30.2 and 32.2. The protrusion is thus shaped to form an indentation generally in the shape of and in the position of the receptacle 11.2 shown in FIG. 11, minus the flanges 16.2 and 18.2. The method includes disposing the material via pressurized air into the contoured surface of the mould. The material forms the container including the indentation. Next, a receptacle is formed for the container by connecting a portion of material, of similar size as portion 44.2 as shown in FIG. 12, across at least part of the indentation. The last step in the method is to let the material cool.

Alternatively the integrated container may be made, for example, by pressed steel or tin.

It will be understood by someone skilled in the art that many of the details provided above are by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is to be determined with reference to the following claims. 

What is claimed is: 1-32. (canceled)
 33. A container assembly comprising: a container comprising: a curved exterior sidewall, the curved exterior sidewall having an outer surface; and, a receptacle connecting to the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container, the receptacle comprising: a pair of spaced-apart arcuate flanges configured to partially extend about the container; a closed arcuate elongate wall outwardly spaced from and partially covering a portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container; an open back opposite the closed arcuate elongate wall of the receptacle, the open back aligning with said portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container, said portion effectively forming part of the receptacle; a pair of spaced-apart planar ends extending outwards from said portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container, the ends of the receptacle connecting the flanges to the closed arcuate elongate wall, the flanges of the receptacle extending outwards from the ends of the receptacle; an open top for receiving an object, the open top being in communication with the open back of the receptacle, the open top extending between the ends of the receptacle and extending between said portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall and the closed arcuate elongate wall of the receptacle; and a bottom connecting to and extending between the ends of the receptacle, the bottom of the receptacle being spaced-apart from the open top of the receptacle and being arc-shaped.
 34. The container assembly as claimed in claim 33, wherein the bottom of the receptacle has a curved outer edge connecting to the closed arcuate elongate wall of the receptacle and a curved inner edge spaced-apart from and extending in parallel with the curved outer edge, the curved inner edge of the bottom of the receptacle being configured to abut with and partially extend about the container.
 35. In combination, the container assembly as claimed in claim 33 and an object selectively insertable within the receptacle of the container assembly, the object being a mystery package.
 36. In combination, the container assembly as claimed in claim 33 and an object selectively insertable within the receptacle of the container assembly, the object being a marketing package.
 37. A receptacle comprising: an arcuate-shaped closed bottom having spaced-apart inner and outer curved edges which extend in parallel with each other, and having spaced-apart first and second ends extending between the inner and outer curved edges of the closed bottom, the first and second ends of the closed bottom extending in parallel with each other; an open top spaced-apart from the closed bottom; a pair of spaced-apart planar ends extending from the first and second ends of the closed bottom to the top of the receptacle; and an arcuate-shaped outer wall extending between the planar ends of the receptacle and extending from the outer curved edge of the closed bottom to the top of the receptacle.
 38. The receptacle as claimed in claim 37, further including an open back spaced-apart from the outer wall, the open back extending from the inner curved edge of the bottom to the top of the receptacle.
 39. The receptacle as claimed in claim 37, further including a pair of spaced-apart arcuate flanges, the flanges connecting to and extending outwards from the inner curved edge of the bottom of the receptacle.
 40. The receptacle as claimed in claim 39 wherein the flanges extend in parallel with the inner curved edge of the bottom of the receptacle.
 41. The receptacle as claimed in claim 37, further including a pair of spaced-apart arcuate flanges, the flanges connecting to and extending outwards from respective ones of the planar ends of the receptacle.
 42. In combination, the receptacle as claimed in claim 37 and an object selectively insertable within the receptacle, the object being a mystery package.
 43. In combination, the receptacle as claimed in claim 37 and an object selectively insertable within the receptacle, the object being a marketing package.
 44. A container assembly comprising: a container including a curved exterior sidewall, the curved exterior sidewall having an outer surface; and the receptacle as claimed in claim 37, the receptacle including a pair of spaced-apart arcuate flanges configured to partially extend about the container, the flanges connecting to and extending outwards from the inner curved edge of the bottom of the receptacle, and the receptacle including an open back opposite the outer wall thereof, the open back aligning with a portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container, said portion effectively forming part of the receptacle.
 45. The combination as claimed in claim 42, further comprising a container including a curved exterior sidewall, the curved exterior sidewall having an outer surface, the receptacle including a pair of spaced-apart arcuate flanges configured to partially extend about the container, the flanges connecting to and extending outwards from the inner curved edge of the bottom of the receptacle, and the receptacle including an open back opposite the outer wall thereof, the open back aligning with a portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container, said portion effectively forming part of the receptacle.
 46. A receptacle comprising: an arcuate-shaped closed bottom; an open top spaced-apart from the closed bottom; an arcuate-shaped outer wall extending from the bottom to the top thereof; an open back spaced-apart from the outer wall and extending from the closed bottom to the open top thereof; and a pair of spaced-apart planar ends extending from the closed bottom to the open top thereof, the closed bottom being interposed between said planar ends, the planar ends extending in parallel with each other.
 47. The receptacle as claimed in claim 46, further including a pair of spaced-apart arcuate flanges coupled to and extending from respective ones of the planar ends of the receptacle.
 48. The receptacle as claimed in claim 47 wherein the flanges are arcuate-shaped.
 49. The receptacle as claimed in claim 47 wherein the closed bottom, the outer wall and the flanges extend in parallel with each other.
 50. In combination, the receptacle as claimed in claim 46 and an object selectively insertable within the receptacle, the object being a mystery package.
 51. A container assembly comprising: a container including a curved exterior sidewall, the curved exterior sidewall having an outer surface; and the receptacle as claimed in claim 46, the receptacle including a pair of spaced-apart arcuate flanges configured to partially extend about the container, the flanges connecting to and extending outwards from the bottom of the receptacle, and the open back of the receptacle aligning with a portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container, said portion effectively forming part of the receptacle.
 52. The combination as claimed in claim 50, further comprising a container including a curved exterior sidewall, the curved exterior sidewall having an outer surface, the receptacle including a pair of spaced-apart arcuate flanges configured to partially extend about the container, the flanges connecting to and extending outwards from the bottom of the receptacle, and the open back aligning with a portion of the outer surface of the curved exterior sidewall of the container, said portion effectively forming part of the receptacle. 